Bicycle-saddle



(No Model.)

F. DOUGLAS. BICYCLE SADDLE.

No. 554,662. Patented Feb; 18, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FEICE.

FRANK DOUGLAS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BICYCLE-SADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,662, dated February 18, 1896.

Application filed September 28, 1895. Serial No. 564,010, (No 5 1,)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK DOUGLAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Combined Bicycle Saddle and Seat-Post, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a seat-post combined with a saddle in such a form and construction as to make the upper end of the seat-post the saddle-clamp.

The stem of the seat-post may be either tubular or solid and of the proper size to fit the frame of the bicycle. From the top of the seat-post stem, forming a part of it and firmly attached to it, is a clamp-plate made with upward and inward curved edges to receive the round curved springs of the saddle. The saddle-springs are placed in the hook-grooves of the clamp-plate and firmly hold the saddle at any desired angle by a wedge-shaped bolthead which forces the saddle-springs firmly in the grooves of the clamp-plate and holds the saddle-spring firmly in position. The bolt with the wedge-shaped head passes through the clamp-plate to receive the nut on the under side of the plate, and when the nut is screwed up tightly the wedge-shaped head of the bolt forces the springs of the saddle into the grooves of the clamp-plate to hold them firmly at any desired position. The clamp-plate may project forward of the seatpost or backward to suit the tastes of the rider. The clip in the forward part of the saddle is also made with a hook-shaped groove on either side to receive the spring of the saddle, and a wedge-shaped block with a bolt passing through it and through the upper side of the clip forces the wires into the hook-shaped grooves of the clip, holding the spring firmly to the clip. The adjustment at this clip is for the purpose of taking up the stretch of the saddle-leather.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the saddle and seat-post, showing by dotted lines where the leather top should be. Fig. 2 is a plan view looking down upon the top of the saddle-spring, forward clip, cantle, and seat-post clamp. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssectional view of the seat-post clamp-plate cut through the center of the wedge-shaped bolt-head. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View of the forward clip cut through the center of the bolt and wedge-shaped washer.

The wire spring of the saddle is made preferably of one piece and double-backed upon itself, leaving space to receive the wedgeshaped bolt-head or wedge-shaped washer. The spring may be made of two separate wires and be held in position by the same method as if made of a single wire.

The seat-post stem A is preferably made of tubing of the proper size to fit the frameclamp of the bicycle. The clamp-plate B is provided with a tubular-shaped neck C, which is fitted and firmly brazed to the stem or tube A. The saddle-springs are preferably made of round wire D D, and are placed in the curved grooves formed by the inwardlyturned edges of the clamp-plate B. This plate is also curved lengthwise to correspond with the curve of the saddle-spring.

To hold the saddle firmly on the seat-post at any desired angle the T-headed bolt E with angle sides is drawn down against the wires of the springs, wedging the springs tightly into the grooves of the clamp-plate by means of nut F on bolt E, which bolt passes down through the plate B. WVhen the nut F is loosened, the saddle can be tilted or adjusted to any angle desired, and by screwing up nut F the saddle is held firmly in place. The hookshaped curved head has upon either side hookshaped edges clasping over the saddle-spring so far as to take all of the forward and backward thrust of the saddle, and thereby dispense entirely with a top clamp-plate, using the wedge-shaped bolt-head only to force the spring into the side grooves of the seat-post head, thereby making the seat-post head with its upward and inwardly curved sides serve the double purpose of a clamp-base and the top cap, which are held together in the usual way by a bolt or set-screw either from above or below. Clip G is riveted to the saddleleather at its forward end. The other or rear end of the clip has inwardly-curved edges to receive theforward end of saddle-spring D D. Bolt f passes through a hole in the clip and down between the wires of the spring. The wedge-shaped washer H is forced down by bolt f, between the wires of the spring D D,

by means of nut I, forcing the spring firmly into the grooves of the clip, holding it in its desired position. To stretch the leather saddle-top the nut I is loosened and the spring is drawn backward in the clip to a desired position, when the nut is tightened to hold it firmly in its place again.

I am aware that prior to my invention clamp-plates have been used to clamp the wire spring of a saddle to a separate seat-post plate by means of a bolt and plate binding the wire between them, as shown in my invention, No. 467,3l2, patented January 19, 1892.

I am also aware that seat-posts with T or L shaped heads have been made with half-round grooves or depressions to receive wire springs to be held in place by plates on top of the spring with corresponding grooves, and a bolt 0r set-screw from above or below to clamp the top plate to the wire springs that set in the grooves of the seat-post head.

YVhat Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A bicycle-saddle seat-post stem with a laterally-projecting head at a proper angle to the seat-post stem, which has upon either side of the head upward and inwardly curved edges, forming curved grooves to fit and close over the curved wire springs of the saddle when used in combination with saddle-sprin gs and a bolt passing down through the headplate, having a wedge-shaped head for the purpose of forcing the wire springs of the saddle apart and out into the hook-shaped grooves of the seat-post head; to secure the saddle firmly to the seat-post; substantially as herein described.

FRANK DOUGLAS.

Witnesses:

M. L. IIERRON, Jos. Lens. 

